Automatic piano.



4 SHEETSSHEET 1 PATENTED OCT. 8, 1907.

J, W. DARLEY, In. AUTOMATIC PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED 00120, 1906.

No 867,875. PATENTED OCT. 8, 1907. J. W. DARLEY, JR.

AUTOMATIC PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.20,1908.

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PATENTED OCT. 8, 1907.

J. DARLEY, JR. AUTOMATIC PIANO.

APPLICATION FILED 00120, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. IDARLEY, JPH, OF BAL"IMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO ERNEST J. KNABE, JR, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

AUTOMATIC PIANO.

Specification of Letters Patient.

Patented Oct. 8, 1907.

Application filed October 20,1906. Serial No. 339,870.

To all whom it may t TOTLCEITLI Be it known that l, .louN W. DARLEY, 112, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, State of )laryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Pianos: and I do hereby declare the following to be a, full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it a 'ipcrtains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic pianos, and the objects of my invention are to simplify the general construction thereof, especially to shorten the pi pcs, and in general to simplify the whole structure, making it more compact, more easy of access, and more readily operable.

With these objects in view. my invention consists in the construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an end view of my improved piano, the end board being removed and parts being left out for the sake of cl earness. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the roll box, showing the connecting pipes. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view, showing the arrangement of pipes leading from the roll box to the pnetunatic box. Fig. l is a top view of one of the headers connected to the pneumatic box. Fig. 5 is a side view of the same. Fig. (i is a cross section on the line S 8 of Fig. 3. Fig. '7 is a fragmentary view, showing the arrangement of pipes, said figure being an end view partly in section of a portion of Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is a top view of the parts shown in Fig. 7.

a represents the rear of the piano, 1) the bottom front casing. c the top front easing, (I the keys supported on pivots c. g/ the soft pedal, '5 the part of the "rising project-- ing over the keys and provided with the rail j having a felt cushion thereon, all of these parts being of the ordinary construction. The piano is also provided with the usual or any approved piano action. 7

In nearly all of the views, parts have been omitted for the sake of clearness. For example, in Fig. 1 the pneumatic pipes, choker, and headers are omitted, that belong to the pneumatic part of the apparatus, and the damper, jack. etc. are omitted from another part, only those parts being shown which set forth my invention or illustrate the operation thereof and its connection with the other parts of the instrument.

7. represents the pneumatic box, from which air is withdrawn by bellows and connections, not shown, operated by the usual pedals. This box is supported by the key bot tom in in. the usual way, and from this box rtm a series of pipes it into a header 0, which is joined with a. header p, a leather lining q being interposed at their junction Pipes r lead from the upper part of said header up to the music roll in the manner best shown in Figs. 3 and 7, these pipes being bent around and assembled in the large pipe 8 and afterwards being curved, as shown at t, and passing into the lower header it, which is joined with the upper header e, which is connected by pipes '11 with the tracker board a, the headers it and i being screwed together with a leather lining between. This provides a, very compact arrangement for the pipes, and avoids interference with the other parts of the piano.

In Fig. l, the general arrangement of the piano is shown. All the parts thereof, not already referred to, being either of the usual type or else referred to in other applications and not claimed in the present application.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an automatic piano, the combination of the, pneumatic box. the roll box, a tracker board in said roll box. pipes and headers connecting said pneumatic box with said tracker board. said pipes being grouped into two similarly shaped but oppositely arranged sets. said sets being lo cated near the sides of the roll box ati'ording an unobstructed central space, and larger tubes tor the reception of said sets of tubes, said larger tubes being connected to and supporting said roll box. substantially as described.

2. In an automatic piano. the combination of the key bottom, large tubes carried by said key bottom. said tubes being open on one side. a roll box fastened to and support ed by said tubes, a tracker board within said roll box, a header connected to said tracker board, a pneumatic box, a header connected to said pneumatic box, and a series of tubes connecting said headers, said lastnamed tubes being located near the sides of the roll box in two similarly shaped, but oppositely disposed sets. said last named tubes passing through said first-named tubes, substantially as described.

il. in an automatic piano. the combination of a pneumatic box. a music roll box and tubes connecting said boxes. said tubes being bent and collected into similar shaped. but oppositely arranged sets. and larger tubes for the reception of said sets of tubes. said larger tubes being bent to provide room for the fall board to be moved backv substantially as described.

4. In an automatic piano, the combination of a key bottom, large tubes having open backs carried by said key bottom. a roll box fastened to and supported by said tubes. a pneumatic box and smaller tubes leading to said pneu matie box from said roll box. said smaller tubes being introduced into said large tubes through said open backs and parsing through holes in the key bottom, substantially as described.

5. In an automatic piano. the combination of a key bottom. a roll box, a pneumatic box. headers located at: the front of the pneumatic box. pipes connecting frotn' said headers through the key bottom to headers arranged on the roll box. and pipes for retaining said connecting pipes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof. atiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN W. DAltLEY, In.

Witnesses J. S'inPrInN GIUS'LA, Jos. H. Bnacxwoon. 

